communications plan

Goals were set, dreams to fulfill, and action step to take were presented by Jessica Macera and Cyndee Woolley during a workshop on Personal Branding.

Who are You? This was the beginning of building a successful Brand to uncover your truest priorities and values, identify your personal Unique Selling Position, and begin sharing that vision with the right audience.

With the start of the annual Atlantic-basin hurricane season just a few weeks away on June 1, now is the time to develop a disaster communication plan for yourself, company employees and clients to be better prepared to deal with disasters, crisis situations and potential security threats in Southwest Florida.

Lauren Stover, Miami International Airport Director of Public Safety, Security and Communications, Miami-Dade Aviation Department and formerly with The Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation and Security Administration (TSA), is a nationally recognized senior-level public affairs, crisis and aviation expert.

John Wilson, Director of Emergency Management, Lee County, FL Emergency Management Center, is in demand locally and nationally when disaster strikes for his knowledge and experience in preparing for and dealing with natural disasters and the annual Atlantic-basin hurricane season in Lee County and Southwest Florida.

Jennifer James-Mesloh, Ph.D., M.P.A., Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), has a background in Communications & Public Affairs and teaches in the FGCU College of Professional Studies. Previously, she successfully managed Lee County Health Department’s response to the H1N1 Virus outbreak a few years ago with Lee County employees and news media outlets.

COST: $24 for PRSA members, $29 for non-members and walk-up attendees, $27 for non-profit, $15 for students and PRSSA members. *No shows will be billed and only checks and cash will be accepted.

February’s Lunch ‘n Learn about Connecting the Heart to the Soul of the company turned out to be a great learning event for everyone. Christine Davlin, CHT, Toursim Education & Training Manager for the Lee County Visitor and Convention Bureau along with Michael Winder, Corporate Trainer for Arthrex, Inc. were the guest speakers. Their energy and enthusiasm for the topic was infectious, and the message was clear – keep the lines of communication open with everyone when times are tough.

Christine opened the program reminding all of us that how we treat employees internally will always reflect externally within the public. In the age of technology, don’t forget that when you are communicating, you are still dealing with a human, not a machine. The “heart” of an organization is its people and the “soul” is the vision and mission – what the organization is trying to accomplish. She reminded us to be sure that the mission always coincides with the message because conflicting communications can cause severe problems both internally and externally. The message you send has to be clear and consistent on ALL levels. An employee who feels involved and engaged is more likely to stay. To keep morale up, make a commitment to comprehend their concerns – really listen when someone else is speaking. We latch on to “emotional words” and tend to rush to judgment. Be careful to stay on message; focus on the overall message instead of each part.

Michael struck a cord in the room with just about every attendee when he made the statement that employee morale doesn’t always equal happiness. Employees want clarity. In order to obtain clarity, employees need direction, communication, instruction and clear expectations. They want to feel that they are there for a purpose. Employees typically don’t quit companies, they quit their boss! Supervisor issues occur when there is poor communication, conflict, lack of guidance, lack of recognition and lack of appreciation. He went on to explain that leaders in any organization of two basic roles – remove barriers and create an atmosphere for success. He talked about how this has never been more apparent than with Gen X or Gen Y employees. Employees from these generations typically value time more than money. They look for a company that is socially and environmentally aware, and flexible. They are committed and will work hard, but your company has to work hard for them too.

When times are tough, don’t mix the message. If you tell your employees one thing and then convey a different message to the public, you create more harm than good. Don’t be afraid of bad times – explain that things are tough, even let them know when there will be layoffs. Be honest and open. As a PR professional, encourage your clients to be as transparent as possible. Work with them to create a message that everyone can live with in the long run. Keep in mind that tough times only last for so long and that as a team, you can get through it if you keep clarity in your communications and consistency in the message.

With social media seemingly taking over the world, many public relations professionals are wondering if traditional media still matters to their PR strategy. Join the discussion to determine what role traditional media should play and whether it is still an effective way to build awareness and reach your target audience. Join Donald K. Wright, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, professor of public relations at Boston University, and Annie Jennings, CEO of Annie Jennings PR, as they discuss the value of traditional media.

Donald Wright, Ph.D., APR, Fellow PRSA, is one of the world’s most published public relations scholars, with a solid footprint on the academic and practitioner sides of the public relations profession. Past recipient of the PRSA Outstanding Educator Award, Dr. Wright is a member of the board of trustees for the Arthur W. Page Society and the Institute for Public Relations.

Annie Jennings, CEO, Annie Jennings PR, is a national publicist specializing in promoting authors and experts to the media. She recently presented to The Harvard Club about top level strategies for communicating via the media, and was an invited guest lecturer for NYU’s Publishing Program and for the American Society Of Journalists & Authors. She has organized numerous radio campaigns for leading publishing houses nationwide, and has booked radio interviews in major markets.